Norman Howard

Norman Howard (born August 25, 1944) is a free jazz trumpeter best known for his association with saxophonist Albert Ayler.

Career Howard was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, in the same neighborhood as Ayler, and played with the saxophonist before he went into the army. In 1962, Ayler moved to Europe, where he made his first recordings, and when he returned, he reunited with Howard. and Howard followed in early 1964. In February of that year, with Howard, bassists Henry Grimes and Earle Henderson (also from Cleveland), and drummer Sunny Murray, Ayler recorded the album Spirits. Howard's dirge-like composition "Witches and Devils" appeared on the recording, although he was not given credit.

Quartet Shortly after the recording session, Howard returned to Cleveland, where he formed a quartet with saxophonist Joe Phillips (also known as Yusef Mumin), bassist Walter Cliff, and drummer Corney Millsap. However, the material was shelved until 1989, when some of the tracks were released by Homeboy Music, a label run by British musicologist Roy Morris, on a limited-edition cassette titled Signals.

Following the 1968 recording session, Howard converted to Islam and disappeared from the music scene.

Discography

As leader Signals (Homeboy Music, 1989) (cassette) Burn, Baby, Burn (Homeboy Music, 1993) (cassette) reissued as Burn Baby Burn (ESP-Disk, 2007)

With Albert Ayler Spirits (Debut, 1966) reissued as Witches & Devils Spirits to Ghosts Revisited (ezz-thetics, 2022) (reissue / compilation) Fire Music Vol. 1 (ESP-Disk, 2012) (sampler)